OGAC Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI)

Office of Grant Writing & Publications

202 Jesse Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211

573 882-9500 phone
573 884-8371 fax

Limited Submission Announcement

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is a coordinated effort led by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) at the Department of State and supported by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Common Fund, the Office of AIDS Research (OAR), and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). These awards will provide support to African institutions working in partnership with a U.S. and/or other African university-based medical school to strengthen and build the clinical and research capacity of medical educational institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and thereby help to strengthen the human capacity for health in Africa.

Three award types will be made to facilitate the objectives of MEPI, 1) Awards focused on PEPFAR priority areas (Programmatic awards); 2) Linked programmatic awards that support non-communicable diseases and priority health areas related to and/or beyond HIV/AIDS (Linked awards), and 3) A Coordinating Center (CC). MU is eligible to submit a CC award as the lead institution but may not do so if a partner or consortia member on a Programmatic or Linked award.

A CC will be awarded to a U.S. institution with extensive knowledge of medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa, experience working with and documenting medical education practices, and which can demonstrate existing partnerships with African educational and ministerial leaders. The primary function of the CC will include coordinating activities across the Programmatic programs, including Linked awards, and working with their African partner(s) to develop an African leadership network to guide, support, and advocate for the effort. The CC will use this network of African educational, ministerial, and scientific leaders to share information and experiences, to evaluate the educational models identifying best practices, to provide technical assistance to further build capacity, and to promote educational models that demonstrate success in meeting the objectives of this funding opportunity. The African partner should be one that has the potential capacity to, either singularly or dually, function in the CC role and by the end of the initial 5-year project period substantially contribute to the sustainability of the initiative.

Because MU is limited to one application for a Coordinating Center or one partnership on a Programmatic award, letters of intent must be submitted to the Office of Research, ltdsub@missouri.edu, no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 2010. Letters of intent should be limited to 3 pages and should include 1) whether a Coordinating Center or Programmatic application, 2) the partner institution(s) in Africa and a brief overview of the established relationship(s), 3) goals and objectives of the program, 4) an overview of planned activities, and 5) evaluation plans.

Amount:

Up to $10,000,000. The requested budget may not exceed $2 million in total costs per year for either the Programmatic awards or the Coordinating Center award. The total project period for all awards may not exceed five years. Cost sharing is not required.

Campus Deadline for Letter of Intent:

4:00 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2010

External Deadlines:

Optional letters of intent due April 12, 2010.
Applications due May 12, 2010.